原文标题：The reptilian (amphibian) professor helping to save her species
帮助拯救其物种的爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物教授
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/cgi-bin/readtemplate?t=tmpl/video_tmpl&vid=wxv_3478154728196997124
Professor Lew is not a scientific genius, despite the rather prestigious name. She’s never even studied science. And yet, she could make a crucial contribution to it.
卢教授并不是科学天才，尽管她的名字很响亮。她甚至从未学过科学。然而，她却能为科学做出至关重要的贡献。
You see, Professor Lew is a Chinese giant salamander – one of the rarest reptile (amphibia) species on the planet.
要知道，卢教授是中国大鲵–地球上最稀有的爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物物种之一。
London Zoo adopted her after UK border officials intercepted smugglers in 2016. They were trying to hide her in a cereal box.
英国边境官员于 2016 年截获走私者，他们试图把她藏在一个麦片盒里。在那之后，伦敦动物园收养了她。
Professor Lew is one of only two Chinese giant salamanders in the UK’s zoos. /Courtesy London Zoo
卢教授是英国动物园中仅有的两只中国大鲵之一。/伦敦动物园提供
Today, she is slowly adjusting to her brand new reptile (amphibia) house. The zoo is hoping she’ll help start a new breeding program that will boost salamander numbers. “This species is incredibly rare in the wild,” says Ben Tapley, one of the zoo’s curators. “We spent over seven years of survey effort with our partners in China and found just 24 individuals. So this species is in real trouble.”
如今，它正在慢慢适应全新的爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物馆。动物园希望它能帮助启动一个新的繁殖计划，以提高大鲵的数量。”动物园馆长Ben Tapley说：”这个物种在野外非常罕见。”我们与中国的合作伙伴花了七年多的时间进行调查，结果只发现了 24 只个体。因此，这个物种真的有麻烦了。
London Zoo has created a specially-designed reptile (amphibia), facility to house some of the rarest reptiles in the world. “We have about 33 different species,” says Tapley. “Over half of those are EDGE species, which stands for ‘evolutionary distinct and globally endangered’ species. We want to showcase the vast diversity of reptiles (amphibias), but also illustrate how threatened they are.”
伦敦动物园专门设计了一个爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物设施，用来饲养一些世界上最稀有的爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物。Tapley说：”我们有大约 33 个不同的物种。”其中一半以上是EDGE物种，即’进化独特、全球濒危’的物种。我们希望展示爬行（译者注：此处应为两栖）动物的巨大多样性，同时也说明它们受到的威胁有多大。
Professor Lew and her male companion are now living in the new facility. Scientists have performed regular check-ups and even DNA analysis. Zoo staff are also keeping a close eye on the pair, hoping they’ll mate when they reach the right age.
卢教授和她的雄性伴侣现在生活在新设施中。科学家对它们进行了定期检查，甚至进行了 DNA 分析。动物园的工作人员也在密切关注着这对伴侣，希望它们能在达到合适的年龄时交配。
Chinese giant salamanders can reach lengths of 1.8 meters. /Kitty Logan/CGTN
中国大鲵体长可达 1.8 米。/Kitty Logan/CGTN
‘The salamander is our friend’
大鲵是我们的朋友
Most giant salamanders come from the rivers of central China. The fast-flowing water provides the perfect habitat for them. But that habitat is changing. The species faces a range of deadly threats, including water pollution, urban development and poaching.
大多数大鲵来自中国中部的河流。湍急的水流为它们提供了完美的栖息地。但这种栖息地正在发生变化。该物种面临着一系列致命威胁，包括水污染、城市发展和偷猎。
The Zoological Society of London is hoping to solve that problem by teaming up with Chinese conservationists. Experts have explored rivers to assess numbers. They’ve also worked on special protection plans for the species.
伦敦动物学会希望通过与中国保护主义者合作来解决这一问题。专家们对河流进行了勘探，以评估其数量。他们还为该物种制定了特别保护计划。
“Our common mission is to build a new image for the Chinese public, showing them that the salamander is our friend,” says Zhao Zhong, director of the Chinese environmental group, Green Camel Bell. “The survival rates can be very low, so I think the first step is to clean up the river, to make sure the habitat is suitable for salamanders.”
“我们的共同任务是为中国公众树立一个新形象，让他们知道大鲵是我们的朋友，”中国环保组织 “绿驼铃 “的负责人赵中说。”大鲵的存活率可能很低，所以我认为首先要清理河道，确保栖息地适合大鲵生长。”
Back to the future…
回到未来…
Professor Lew and her male friend are the only Chinese giant salamanders in Britain’s zoos. They’re known as ‘living fossils’ because their ancestors date back millions of years, all the way to the Jurassic period.
卢教授和她的男性朋友是英国动物园中唯一的中国大鲵。它们被称为 “活化石”，因为它们的祖先可以追溯到数百万年前的侏罗纪时期。
They can grow to 1.8 meters in length, and some weigh as much as 50 kilograms. It’s not always easy to look after them, but Tapley says it’s well worth the effort. “This species is really important because it’s evolutionary extinct and globally endangered. So, by protecting this ancient lineage of amphibian you’re not only protecting all that evolutionary history, but all that future evolutionary potential.”
它们可以长到 1.8 米长，有些重达 50 公斤。照顾它们并非易事，但Tapley说这是值得的。”这个物种非常重要，因为它在进化过程中已经绝迹，在全球濒临灭绝。因此，通过保护这种古老的两栖动物，你不仅是在保护所有的进化历史，也是在保护所有未来的进化潜力”。
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